Nagpur/Bhandara: Total seven rice millers have been arrested by police for embezzlement in paddy procurement to the tune of Rs 12.50 crore in Bhandara district.
In connection with alleged embezzlement of paddy stock, the then District Marketing Officer Ganesh Kharche had lodged a complaint in 2018 following which an investigation was conducted by CID. Now, seven accused have been arrested in the case including Vishwanath Manikrao Karemore, brother of sitting Tumsar MLA Raju Karemore. Gondia and Bhandara districts are paddy belts with majority of farmers opting for paddy cultivation.
Government procures paddy from them on MSP (minimum support price) and then the same paddy is given to rice millers against which they have to deposit custom milling rice (CMR). But it had come to fore that the accused Himesh Manohar Kahalkar (Bamhni), Surendra Vithoba Wahile (Mandhal), Tarachand Kavdu Kahalkar (Bamhni), Bharat Gyaniram Thakre (Tumsar), Manik Shriram Bondre (Dhorgavada) and Vishwanath Karemore (Warthi) had not deposited back rice stock worth Rs 12.50 crore.
Later, after a complaint was lodged, fearing legal action, these rice millers deposited stock worth Rs 8.5 crore. But law caught up with them and all seven of them were arrested over a period of two days and also remanded to CID custody till July 4.
It may be mentioned here that for the season of 2021 -22 and 2022 -23, 11 cooperative societies had procured 4,47,426 quintal paddy of which rice millers had lifted 3,10,647 quintal stock while the remaining stock 1,36,000 quintal was not found with the societies and they also failed to return it to the Government.
